Emmaus Catholic and CofE Primary School

Inspection of Emmaus Catholic and CofE Primary School Southend Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S2 5FT

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Helen Simmerson. This school is part of St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Stephen Davies, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kevin Joseph Smith. 26 and 27 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The pupils of Emmaus Catholic and CofE Primary School enjoy coming to school. They are happy and safe. Pupils behave well in lessons, around the school and at playtimes. The school is a calm and orderly environment. Some pupils say that bullying happens occasionally, but they also say that it is always dealt with by adults. The school responds decisively to any instances of poor behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve. A well-sequenced curriculum is in place. Pupils are catching up with learning missed during the COVID- 19 pandemic.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school plans many opportunities for pupils to widen their experiences through educational visits. These experiences help pupils build ambition and aspiration. Pupils also have opportunities to discover and develop their individual talents. For example, all pupils learn to play the violin. External speakers are carefully chosen to address issues faced by pupils, such as knife crime. Older pupils undertake positions of responsibility, such as subject ambassadors. In these roles, they promote reading and Spanish to their peers well.

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better?

The school has developed and introduced an ambitious curriculum across key stages 1 and 2 in all subjects. Leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and when they want them to learn it. What pupils learn in the early years prepares them very well for the next stage of their education in key stage 1. When planning the curriculum, the school has ensured that learning reflects the context of the school and its pupils. For instance, in history, pupils study a topic on Benin rather than the Mayans because it more closely reflects some pupils’ cultural heritage. In lessons, teachers do not check consistently that pupils have secured the knowledge they have been taught. They do not adapt their teaching as a matter of course when pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

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better?

The curriculum in the early years is similarly ambitious. The books that are read and enjoyed are carefully chosen to reflect the backgrounds and needs of the children. Adults support children’s learning well. They quickly establish positive relationships with children and work to promote communication skills and vocabulary. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly, and their needs are supported well. Early mathematical concepts are explored through a range of opportunities provided to children in the Nursery and Reception classes.

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better?

Reading is a very high priority of the school. Pupils learn to read following a well- sequenced programme of phonics. Teachers of reading have all received appropriate training. Children start learning to read as soon as they arrive in the Reception Year. Pupils who need additional support to keep up with their reading are quickly identified and supported. Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. 26 and 27 September 2023

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The needs of pupils with SEND are quickly identified. The progress that these pupils make is regularly assessed. Appropriate adaptations are made to the curriculum for pupils with SEND. As a result, these pupils learn well. The school’s nurture room is used extremely well in support of pupils with SEND, particularly those with social and emotional needs.

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Pupils behave well, and the majority attend school regularly. However, there is a significant minority of pupils who do not attend school regularly enough. The school’s attendance figures have not returned to those prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pupils who are not attending school are missing out on important learning. They do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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The school has a well-considered approach to pupils’ personal development. The school plans a range of exciting educational experiences, such as performances by the Young Shakespeare Company or visits to the Hallé Orchestra. Pupils benefit from cycling lessons in school. The personal development curriculum is enhanced by philosophy lessons. In these lessons, pupils have opportunities to express opinions and to debate and discuss important topics.

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Governors know the school and the community well. They make regular visits to the school to see the impact of their decisions and policies. Governors share the high ambitions of other school leaders. The school benefits from collaborations with other schools, both locally and through membership of a multi-academy trust. Through these collaborations and with the support of the trust, the school benefits from high- quality support and professional development opportunities. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working in the school. The school supports staff and their well-being very well indeed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not having the impact the school intends it to have. Pupils are not making sufficient progress. The school should ensure that regular and precise checks are made on pupils’ learning so that gaps in their knowledge are identified and addressed quickly.  Teachers do not accurately identify gaps in pupils’ learning and do not then adapt their teaching to meet the needs of the pupils. Leaders should ensure that teachers identify and respond to pupils’ gaps in knowledge by adapting their teaching.  Too many pupils do not attend school often enough. This limits how well these pupils learn. Leaders should build on their strategies to secure pupils’ attendance so that all pupils attend school regularly. 26 and 27 September 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 June 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is designated as having a religious character. It was inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in April 2017. The next section 48 inspection is due before April 2025.  The school joined the St Clare Multi Academy Trust in September 2022.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 26 and 27 September 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, science, history and languages. For each deep dive, they met with leaders, discussed curriculums, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. Pupils were also observed reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered other subjects in the school’s curriculum. They talked to the leaders who lead these subjects. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about their learning in these subjects and looked at samples of work.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers during the inspection. They considered the responses, including free-text comments, to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. The responses to the staff and pupil surveys were also considered.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and other members of staff. Inspectors also met with representatives of the trust and

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Taylor Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 September 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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